Council climate change program axed for no good reason

The Sydney Morning Herald has a story: Funding for Climate Change Initiatives Axed about the federal government cutting funding to Council run program, Cities for Climate Protection, aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

The Rudd government has withdrawn funding from the Cities for Climate Protection program that helped councils reduce their carbon footprint. Greens NSW MP John Kaye is calling on the Rees government to step in and continue support for NSW local government work on climate change.

Commenting on a story on page 3 of today’s Sydney Morning Herald (‘Funding for climate change initiative axed’), Dr Kaye said: “Using a very crude measure of greenhouse reduction benefits, the federal government is sinking a crucial flagship program in renewable energy and efficiency measures.

“While the National Clean Coal Fund is set to receive $366 million over the next four years, support for local government transformation is to be abruptly slashed at the end of next month.

“No account has been made for the long term benefits of a program that allows councils to model low carbon footprint behaviour to their community.

“Based on the flimsiest of evidence, the program has been deemed to not be cost effective.

“The Rudd government has failed to acknowledged that the Cities for Climate Protection program enables councils to provide leadership to their community.

“With the federal government’s carbon trading scheme going nowhere and the Rees government fixated on burning more coal, councils had become the best chance of leading the community to lower carbon footprints.

“Municipalities around NSW will be left without the support to complete their milestones.

“Ending the program now is wasteful and damaging to the future of climate change mitigation.

“The Rees government should not sit on its hands while Cities for Climate Protection folds.

“For less than $1.5 million a year, they could ensure that communities around NSW continue to benefit from local government action on climate change,” Dr Kaye said.

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The Marrickville and Petersham-Newtown Greens are the local groups for members of The Greens political party living in the Sydney suburbs of Dulwich Hill, Enmore, Lewisham, Marrickville, Newtown, Petersham, St Peters, Stanmore, Sydenham and Tempe.

All electoral comment on this site authorised by Richard Morrell 19 Eve Street Erskinville NSW